Goldsworth News : 049 Allotment Society

GOLDSWORTH PARK ALLOTMENT SOCIETY

Gardening magazines and the telly are full of hints, tips and advice on sowing, planting and setting so it must be getting close to spring, that time when gardeners thoughts turn to digging and preparations for planting. Some will have already dug their plots over the winter to allow the frosts and cold winds to break down the clods and maybe kill off harmful pests hibernating in the soil, indeed some will have planted shallots, garlic, and the new breed of onion sets that withstand the rigours of the winter. Growing your own produce is very much in fashion today and according to the experts allotment plots are in demand from a much younger element of the population and in particular young women with families who are concerned about the quality of the food that their families are eating. This is a welcome trend but newcomers can be assured that there will still be a few mature gardeners around able and willing to pass on tips and ideas based on their many years of experience- things that you don't find in gardening books.

The odd warm early spring day is a great temptation to start sowing and planting, particularly when one sees the vast array of tender plants in garden centres, but it may be better to resist the temptation and concentrate on getting the ground prepared. Generally mid to late march even in the balmy south, is early enough to begin, otherwise seeds, sets and tubers do not get a good start in cold soil. For the enthusiastic early bird the use of fleece or plastic sheet can warm the soil by a couple of degrees, a method that is widely used in the commercial growing sector. Every gardener has his or her own ideas and methods, but increasingly one common strand is the tendency towards organic gardening. This is the inevitable result of the dramatic reduction of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides on the garden centre shelves, mainly as a result of EU regulation. Many will welcome this since it means that there is no longer a mass destruction of insects, good and bad, and there will be less potentially harmful residues left on the crops. Total organic gardening is difficult to practise in an allotment site setting, but if you grow the produce yourself you will at least know how it has been grown and if it is clean. One interesting fact that has recently emerged is that the HDRA, the organic organisation, no longer recommends the use of old carpets to suppress weeds, i.e. as mulch, because they contain pollutants and chemicals that can leach into the soil or a rubber backing that can break down into the soil.

If you want to join the growing set that enjoy fresh tasty home grown fruit and vegetables, the Goldsworth Park Allotment Society at its Sheet Heath Lane, Brookwood site has a few vacant plots. If you wish to know more give the Chairman a ring on 01483 821974, but hurry because they will not be vacant for long.